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Modern varieties of roses are remarkable not only for their lush beauty and wonderful aroma - most of them bloom repeatedly. The first buds usually appear in May, and the last ones just before frost. This makes the rose stand out among other flowers and forces owners to find a corner for it even in the smallest yard.
Capricious and difficult to care for varieties are becoming a thing of history; they are most often found in the gardens of collectors. But no matter how easy it is to grow roses today, only with the right agricultural technology will they show themselves in all their glory. If everything is very clear with watering, fertilizing, treating and covering for the winter, then pruning roses for the winter causes so much controversy among rose growers that a novice gardener can become confused.
Why prune roses
But why do roses need pruning? It is much easier not to touch the thorny branches and let nature itself take care of the formation of the bush. The fact is that the shoots of roses do not become thicker from year to year; after a few years, their tops die off, and new shoots develop from the lower buds.Let's say right away that only species roses do not need formative pruning - only as they age, dried branches are removed so that they look neat. Another situation with varieties:
- Removing shoots affected by pests and diseases prevents the infection from spreading to the entire plant.
- Anti-aging pruning prolongs the life of bushes - if branches older than three years are not removed, they will first lose their decorative appearance and then die.
- This flower has a powerful root system and good shoot-forming ability. It is necessary to maintain a balance between them, otherwise we will end up with a tangle of tangled thin young and dry old branches.
- Spring or autumn pruning of the bush stimulates the development of new powerful shoots.
- Large buds and continuous flowering can only be achieved if all parts of the rose receive enough nutrition. To do this, you need to cut off thin, weak, old branches that thicken the bush and consume nutrients.
- The largest flowers can be grown only by normalizing the number of shoots.
Is it necessary to prune for winter?
Beginning gardeners often ask whether they need to prune roses for the winter. After all, with the arrival of warmer weather, we will still be forced to shorten all frozen or weather-damaged shoots. If spring pruning is aimed at forming a beautiful, healthy bush, then in the fall it is intended to prepare roses for winter shelter.
There is no unity among experienced rose growers on this issue. Some advise in the fall to remove only immature shoots, which can rot under cover or during a thaw, which can lead to damage to the entire bush, and carry out the remaining operations in the spring. Others are proponents of full fall pruning.
Beginning gardeners need to know the following:
- Unripe branches require mandatory pruning. In young shoots the spines bend when pressed, in adults they break.
- Rose bushes that bloom once do not need to be pruned - their wood usually ripens well before frost.
- Before covering, be sure to remove all flowers and unopened buds.
We recommend minimal pruning in the fall. The tops of the shoots may dry out or freeze in winter, and if they are cut short, there will be nowhere to shorten them in the spring. This will entail a temporary loss of decorativeness and will make the first, most abundant wave of flowering inexpressive.
Basic rules for pruning
There are general rules for caring for roses that should be followed in both spring and autumn.
Trimming tools
How to prune roses correctly if there is no suitable tool or it is not sharp enough? The answer is no. Here is a list of what you will need:
- Secateurs.
- Garden saw. It removes shoots with a diameter greater than 2 cm.
- Gardening scissorsequipped with long handles. They are simply necessary for climbing trimmings or tall bush roses. Even if you have two-section ladders, it is not possible to install them everywhere without damaging the plants.
- To work with roses, you need gloves made of thick elastic material. You can use old leather ones.
- Knee pads or a special mat. This will allow you to get closer to the bush without causing problems with your joints, especially if there are a lot of roses in the area.
Naturally, the tools must be sharp, since a torn cut can become a breeding ground for pathogens. Before work, they need to be disinfected with alcohol or a solution of potassium permanganate.
Preparation for pruning
Pruning roses for the winter begins with cutting off all the leaves. They do not always fall off on their own, and you cannot leave them on the bush. Among wild roses there are many evergreen species that participated in the creation of varieties. Under snow or shelter, leaves continue to breathe and evaporate moisture, which can lead to negative consequences. Alternatively, they may rot or spread diseases on them.
Before pruning roses in the fall, be sure to rake away the mulch and, if necessary, remove supports.
How to make cuts
The surface of all cuts must be smooth, located 1 cm above the outward-facing bud of the bush. This way, the shoots will not intersect, and you will provide the rose bush with good lighting.
Make cuts at an angle so that water or snow does not linger on them. Otherwise, the wound surface may become a source of infection. Be sure to treat it with garden varnish.
When cutting shoots, make sure that the core is white. If it is black or brown, you need to cut it back to healthy wood or remove the branch completely.
Pruning technique
It's difficult to prune just the first few bushes. Having acquired minimal skill, even novice gardeners can successfully cope with this operation. Usually 3-5 strong, well-ripened shoots are left on a rose bush. But in any case, before you start pruning, study the characteristics of the variety. For example, more branches are usually left on scrubs.
Timing of autumn pruning
Autumn pruning of rose bushes is part of the preparation for winter and is carried out immediately before covering them. Wait for cold weather to set in and overnight temperatures to drop below freezing.Any pruning of roses in the fall, carried out in warm weather, stimulates the development of buds. If a thaw comes, they start to grow, the plant will suffer.
The exception is multi-flowered climbing varieties. They are pruned at the end of summer or autumn, when the formation of buds is completed and the wood has matured.
Choose a sunny, windless day and start pruning.
Traditional pruning
For beginning gardeners, pruning roses in the fall is best done in the old, proven way. It can be used for all types of bush and standard roses. Let's look at a simple and understandable diagram in detail. Trim:
- all dead shoots to the base;
- damaged, diseased branches to healthy wood;
- completely - root shoots;
- thin and bush-thickening stems;
- all unripe shoots.
As a result, only strong, well-ripened, healthy shoots will remain on the rose bush. Next, all that remains is to shorten them using one of the methods indicated below.
Heavy pruning
The stems are shortened by 3-4 buds, leaving about 15 cm. So, all newly planted roses are trimmed and hybrid tea varieties intended for participation in exhibitions or for producing large buds.
This method is absolutely not suitable for rooted climbing roses, floribundas, and scrubs. Heavy pruning is not suitable for hybrid tea and park roses, intended for garden decoration, with the exception of rejuvenation or healing of weakened bushes.
Moderate pruning
Strong shoots are shortened by half, weakened ones - a little more. Moderate pruning is good for everyone bush varieties. In floribunda roses, old stems are shortened completely, and annual stems are only lightly pinched. This pruning gives the bush a particularly attractive appearance and promotes long-term flowering.
Easy trimming
The shoots are only slightly shortened, leaving about two-thirds. So, roses will bloom earlier. Most varieties cannot be lightly pruned for several years in a row, as they will stretch out and produce few buds.
Pruning climbing and ground cover varieties
These flowers are not pruned at all; old, diseased, immature and dried shoots are removed. In multi-flowered climbing roses, the side shoots are shortened by two-thirds, and the old skeletal shoots are shortened by a strong branch.
These are simple ways to prune roses for the winter. The video will help you consolidate your knowledge:
What to do after pruning roses
Mandatory before covering, but after pruning roses need treatment for pests and diseases. Depending on the temperature at which you will carry it out, choose:
- Copper-containing preparations (active ingredient - copper). Used at temperatures of +6 degrees and above.
- Iron-containing preparations. They have a similar effect, but are used at low temperatures.
Now we remove plant debris from the area and cover the roses.
Conclusion
There is nothing complicated about autumn pruning of roses. Try, learn, and in a short time you will do this procedure automatically.
